Starting with Visual C++ version 7.0, the standard C++ language has been extended to provide support for programming in the NGWS runtime world. Managed Extensions for C++ are comprised of keywords and attributes.
Managed Extensions are designed to make the task of programming NGWS applications easier and quicker by implementing the following features:
Managed Extensions are designed to migrate an existing C++ application to the NGWS platform (also known as the Virtual Execution System) with a single recompile. Once your application has successfully compiled, you can begin accessing the features of the NGWS runtime.
By adhering to the NGWS runtime Common Language Specification (CLS), any class you create in C++ will be immediately accessible in any Visual Basic program or any other CLS-compliant language that targets the NGWS runtime, such as C#.
Managed Extensions give you access to the entire NGWS runtime feature set within your existing C++ application without giving up any of the traditional C++ benefits, such as custom memory allocation, direct access to the Windows APIs, and efficient manipulation of low-level machine details.
Managed Extensions provide access to a garbage-collected memory heap provided by the NGWS runtime and automatic management of objects allocated from this heap. Garbage collection provides an automatic performance boost for most applications and allows the developer to focus on more important aspects of the application instead of on management of objects and pointers.
The following table contains links to information on Managed Extensions for C++ and managed programming:
For information about | See |
---|---|
Managed Extensions reference topics | Managed Extensions for C++ Keywords |
Managed Extensions sample programs | Visual C++ Samples |
Managed classes, objects, arrays, delegates, and value classes | Introduction to Managed Extensions for C++ |
Managed Extensions articles with procedures | Adding Support for Managed Extensions for C++ to an Existing Application |
Compiler options | /com+ (NGWS runtime Compilation) |
NGWS framework | NGWS Framework and runtime SDK |
Writing Managed Programs